Mute



P. MAZZERI.

MUTE.

APPLICATION man JULY 9.1921.

Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

K I P0272?" M J t/ I v flaw/m Patented Sept. 26, 1922.

; UNITED STATES PETER MAZZERI, or OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

morn.

Application filed July 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that PETER lllAZZERI, a subject of the King of Italy, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mutes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The invention relates to mute attachments for horns, cornets and trumpets and has for its object to provide a device of this character wherein a hollow spherical member is hingedly connected to the bell of the instrument and provided with an upwardly extending arm, said arm being connected to a. spring actuated finger engaging lever adjacent the valves of the instrument in such a manner that the spherical ball, may when desired, be moved into the bell of the instrument for muting purposes. It is the present practice to provide mutes which are detached from the instrument and when needed have to be located and held into position manually, therefore it is a further object to provide in combination with a wind instrument a muting device which is permanently attached to the instrument and controllable from a point adjacent the valves thereof.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view taken.

on line 3?) of Figure 1, showing the spring means for normally maintaining the spherical member in inoperative position.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a conventional form of cornet, and 2 the bell thereof. Securedon one of the convolutions 3 of the comet adjacent the valve actuating finger members 4 is a sleeve 5, said sleeve being held in place and against movement by means of a bolt 6 which passes through ears 7 of the sleeve. Pivotally 1921. Serial No. 483,543.

mounted on an outwardly extending lug 8 carried by the sleeve 5 is an operating lever 9. The lever 9 at its lower end is provided with a finger engaging member 10, which finger engaging member is adapted to be engaged by the finger of the operator for rocking the lever 9 on its centrally disposed pivotal point. Lever 9 has secured thereto at 11 a coiled spring 12, the other end of said coiled spring 12 being secured at 13 to the sleeve 5. Coiled spring 12 forms means for normally maintaining the lever 9 in the dottedline position shown in Figure 1, and as the lever 9 has pivoted to its upper end the rear end of a connecting rod 14, the forward end of which rod is pivotally connected at 15 to a rockable lever 16, which is pivotally mounted at 17 on a bracket 18 carried by the bell 2 of the cornet, it will be seen that the arm 19 of the lever 16 will be raised and held in the dotted line position shown in Figure 1 and the muting ball 20 carried by said arm 19 will also be held out of engagement with the opening 21 of the hell 2 of the cornet. It will be seen that when the musician desires to use the muting sphere 20, it i will only be necessary for him to place one finger in engagement with the finger engaging member 10 and force the same rearwardly against the action of the coiled spring 12. When this is done the connecting rod 14,- will rock the lever 16 on its pivotal point and move the muting sphere 20 downwardly un til it is disposed within the bell 2 of the cornet the desired distance. The muting sphere 20 is preferably formed from sheet metal and is provided with a plurality of apertures 22 through which a limited amount of air may pass thereby not entirely deadenin the sound. However it is to be understoo if so desired the apertures 22 may be eliminated.

From the above it will be seen that a muting attachment is provided for cornets which attachment is permanently fixed to the instrument where it can be readily used'and. so constructed that it may be easily operated from adjacent the operating valves of the instrument by the fingers of the operator.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is 1. The combination with a wind instrument having a bell, of a muting device for said instrument, said device comprising a lever pivoted on said bell, a spherical member carried by said lever, a lever pivoted on the instrmnent at it point. removed from the boil 1L connecting rod between said last named lever and the bell carried lever and spring means for normally holding said spherical member out of registration. with the end of the hell.

2. The combination with e Wind instrument having valve keys and 2L bell, of a muting device for said instrument, said device comprising spherical shaped mute adapted to be moved into and out of registration with the bell said mute being carried by e lever pivot-ally mounted on the hell, it lever pivoted to the instrument adjacent the valve keys, saidlever being pivotally mounted on 

